


Lost at sea

by Raiseyourweaponz



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alcohol, Jack goes on holiday and meets a total hunk of a man, M/M, Most characters will just be mentions but I'll probably add in a few, Mutual Pining, Overwatch - Freeform, Overwatch AU, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Slow Burn, Vomiting, mention of deaths, previous alcohol abuse, there will be filth dont you worry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-26
Updated: 2018-02-26
Packaged: 2019-03-24 04:58:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13803906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raiseyourweaponz/pseuds/Raiseyourweaponz
Summary: Jack has retired the army after 37 years, thinking a holiday will help him settle into the relaxation and begin a status as 'normal veteran' to society. Will this holiday help him? Or will it just make him realise he can't go through this without his comrades?





	Lost at sea

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so I wrote a chapter, posted it, realised how many holes and issues it had. So I restarted. I'm hoping this is better. If not, I give up. LOL. I'm hoping to get around ten chapters for this.

The year was 2036 and Jack had finally been forced to retire from the army. His friends and superiors had all told him that if he continued the way he was he’d be sure to lose hope of returning to home and still have any kind of normality intact. They may have been looking out for him but he liked his job, mainly for the reason he was good at it. Having to kill people always unsettled his stomach and made him feel nauseous but he did what he had to and did as he was told. He was a good soldier and will always be a soldier. No matter where he was, the training would be ingrained into his brain, always have control over him. He didn’t think it’d be too bad to go home. What could possibly go wrong? He lived in a rural village where it was mainly the elderly, a few scattered families and general people who clearly got fed up with the hustle and bustle of the city. Jack couldn’t blame them, he’d been into the city and it was like being stuffed into a tin can and locked in with 50 other people crammed in with you. It was definitely a soul sucking kind of place. He felt somewhat blessed for the beach down his road, the quiet shops along the boardwalk, the sea gulls shouting past his house. It all sounded magical in comparison to the usual deserted hut with gunshots and loud engines of the tanks that would make the ground ripple underneath it. Jack had decided to use his retirement as a chance to visit other countries. He’d only been in two throughout the 55 years of being alive and it seemed necessary to venture what there was left of this baron world. The war had taken it’s toll over the past 10 years, Jack had been posted on the front lines, that also took his toll on him. The blood, the loud shots ringing in his ears, the smell of rot, thick in his nose. It didn’t ever stop. No matter where he was, he could always hear comrades shouting for him, it would weigh him down making him feel useless and out of control of any situation. It made him feel sick to his stomach.

He had already packed, he didn’t really have many possessions so it made the ordeal a lot easier. Most of his wardrobe was either back from 2010 before he was stationed in Dorado and his usual attire of camouflage or a navy blue suit, pocket stacked with medals for bravery and heroic behaviour. Jack felt somewhat lost being back in normal society, he didn’t like having to make conversation with his neighbours, how they’d invite him over for dinner because he apparently looked exhausted and could use a ‘good home cooked meal.’ Jack wasn’t bad at cooking he just didn’t do it. Ready meals were easier, time saving and still filling. He didn’t need friends, he had friends. They just weren’t here. He didn’t want to dwell on his friends mainly because most of them were dead. He forgot they were most of the time, the temptation to give them a call and see how they’re doing, go to their old apartments and chill out with a cold brew. Jack rubbed at his jaw line, feeling at the white flecks of stubble beginning to grow back. The way Jack’s beard tried to grow in always annoyed him, it came in patches and barely grew past one inch. He remembered Winston, how he could probably push a full luscious beard out with a good squeeze. How Reinhardt had white curls growing on his chest. He missed Mercy and the way she’d be so tentative to everyone, putting them all before herself, the way her smile would ease all insecurities and brighten up the dankest of rooms. Everything seemed wrong the more he thought of those he missed. Some lost in battle, some… Just lost. With the help of the internet Jack had found himself a cruise that will be gliding through the ocean, stopping at different locations in the world. He’ll be starting from Miami, cruising through Florida and into the Caribbean Sea. Along with being a 35 day long cruise it had anything anyone could dream of. Spa, swimming pool, bar, those were the only that stuck in Jack’s mind. The rest were all couple involved and he was going by himself, he didn’t exactly have anyone to join him either. Having time to himself on a cruise will most likely be very enjoyable, especially being able to soak up the sun, the breeze, cold beer in hand. He could almost smell the salty air with the amount of excitement that was beginning to build up in him.

He heard the sound of a car horn, indicating his taxi had arrived. The apartment was completely locked up, everything but the refrigerator humming quietly. He grabbed his belongings and set off on his holiday, more than ready to fully indulge in relaxation. He took a few books with him that he checked out from the library, most were about dealing with traumatic experiences, but the books that Jack was most interested in were murder mystery fiction books. A silly type of book to be into when he had spent most of his life neck deep in death. It was thrilling to think of the possibilities that could happen throughout a book, how the plot could twist in any direction and would keep him right at the edge of his seat. It wasn’t long until he was already boarding the cruise ship, handing over his ticket to the conductor and finally setting foot onto the large vessel. Jack had chosen a fairly decent room, it was down as one of the cheaper rooms but he didn’t understand the concept when it had an oceanview. The smell of the sea air already filling Jack’s nostrils he felt somewhat optimistic about his holiday. He padded along the smooth wooden decks until he got to his room, number 305. Once entered, he locked the door behind himself, dropping his luggage at the end of the bed before dropping down on the soft double mattress. The ships horn blared in the background as the ship sailed, now making it’s way further into the sea. Jack began unpacking his bag, folding items and putting them into the small dresser beside his bed, hanging up his suit in the wardrobe, he had just enough space to slot in his small suitcase to keep the room clear of clutter.

He grabbed his book and sun glasses, slotting them onto his ears. Exiting his room the sun hit him, the rays beating down on him. Jack never really burnt but salt water, fresh air and unfiltered sunlight would most likely damage his skin, he decided on going to the gift store to find some sun cream. It was a little packed, only natural when you have 500 odd people stuffed onto a cruise. He grabbed and paid for the suncream, finding himself a wooden deck chair to lay out on. Jack setup his station, rubbing sun cream on his face, neck, arms and legs, popping his sunglasses back onto his nose. He waved down a waiter and ordered a scotch on the rocks. Thinking back on it he should’ve chosen a lighter, less potent drink but what the hell? He’s was on holiday. It didn’t take him long to make the drink and bring it back, Jack tipped him a crisp ten dollars and sipped at his drink. The liquid was smooth, lightly smoked and had a beautiful complex taste. He smiled to himself slightly, allowing himself to enjoy the moment. He could get used to this. He didn’t notice many people walking by, it was quiet and most people were using the facilities rather than lying about doing nothing on the first day. He understood the excitement of a new place and having to adventure all aspects of the area, but he felt that relaxing straight into the experience and finding something new each day would keep him busy, mind always occupied. For what it was worth, it was working. Jack opened his book on how to recuperate from traumatic experiences, there were several different cases in the book, each with their own way of helping yourself and others. It was an interesting read and even though it was mainly to help with his own issues, it gave him insight on how others also coped with their own situations. He began wondering if anyone else on this cruise may also be here to get away from their troubles, choosing a holiday over responsibility like Jack had. Before he had time to mull over the possibilities someone had pulled him out of his speculation.

A tanned man, beautiful beard, deep eyes and scars scattered across his face asked him something. “Sorry, what did you say?” Jack had to ask as he didn’t even catch what he said, he was bewitched by this rugged man infront of him.

“I asked if this seat was taken.” He nodded towards the deck chair beside Jack who was now shaking his head.

“Feel free.” Those were the only words they exchanged. The stranger laid out on the deck chair, placing a pillow behind his head, the short deep mahogany brown curls scattering across the plush. Jack hid his wandering eyes behind his shades. The black shirt tightly holding onto his ripped muscles. Everything about the man screamed hunk but Jack was well into his fifties, he no longer had the ego that’d guide him through getting a date, let alone make a decent conversation. Jack huffed quietly to himself and continued to read through his book, occasionally sipping at his drink until he had emptied it. He ordered another drink, making it a double this time. The sun had started to begin to set and the view was even more remarkable, the blue sky now turning a deep orange hue, with every minute it was even more breathtaking. Taking a deep gulp of his fresh drink he finally spoke again. “Beautiful isn’t it. The world that is.” Jack laughed quietly as he obviously back tracked making sure to keep the conversation completely PG. He didn’t get much in return, a low grunt of a ‘yeah’, he didn’t expect much but he hoped he’d get more than that. Jack was fine with that though, he continued watching as the sun dipped lower and lower until the ships lights sparked up, now the sun gone and the moon shining brightly against the water, shimmering of the side of the ship. It continued to baffle Jack how gorgeous the world could be even with other parts completely destroyed. How anything could go out of sight if it’s out of mind. He finished off his drink and put the glass down on the small table beside the lounger before getting up, placing his book under his wing, propping his sunglasses atop of his head. “Have a good night.” Jack made sure to keep his manners and bid the stranger farewell, no reply though. He noted his eyes were closed and maybe he was asleep.

Jack chose to go to the dining experience, he sat by himself at a table a bit further from the bustle, enjoying the reactions of people when the chef would cook at their table. He was by himself with a glass of champagne and seafood chowder, deeming it acceptable to read his book while he drank and ate. It had been thoroughly relaxing so far, he had learnt quite a bit through his book, enjoyed the beverages he’d ordered each time and the food was beyond phenomenal. Once he had finished his food, he continued ordering glasses of champagne while enjoying his book, dipping back and forth as it went from interesting to serious. It took another hour or two until Jack realised he no longer had a buzz but he was pretty blasted from the alcohol intake. He could feel the heat in his cheeks and the gravity on his eyelids pulling down with the might of Zeus. He tried pushing himself up from his chair and barely got anywhere before falling back down onto his chair. The dining hall was pretty much empty by now, most likely everyone back in their rooms watching TV or sleeping.

Jack felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned quickly, surprised by the contact. Here was the gorgeous stranger once again. “Do you need help by any chance?” Jack felt incredibly embarrassed, it seemed he was obviously drunk and he didn’t do that. He didn’t like to seem weak or incapable of looking after himself. He couldn’t tell if it was pride or just pure stupidity. His voice drawled as he huffed in defeat. “Sorry, that’d be great. Thankyou.” Jack placed his hand on the strangers shoulder and pushed himself up. Jack noticed he was slightly smaller than him. “No problem.” He retorted. Jack shuffled along, the shorter mans arm holding onto him, pulling Jack along with him. “What room are you?” Jacks eyes were pulling harder down and he was struggling to keep them open. He mumbled to the stranger the number of his room, legs feeling heavier than before. Thankfully they were at Jacks door before he realised it. He fumbled for the key, annoying himself at not being able to go through his own pockets. He continued to pat himself down while the other male piped up once more.

“I’m Gabriel, Gabriel Reyes.” Jack lifted his head up again and felt the sides of his mouth curl up without being to control his own facial expressions, he held out his hand, grasping Gabriel’s tightly and shaking roughly. “Jack Morrison.” As soon as they exchanged names Jack found his key. “Thanks for helpin’ me get to my room. See you around Gabe.” Jack saluted like an idiot, stumbling into his room, closing the door behind him he fell face down onto the bed, already sleep kicking in hard. It wasn’t long until Jack was completely immersed in sleep, the feeling of being sucked into the void of nightmares. They didn’t come though, just the constant sense of the room spinning, the bobbing of the ship on the waves lulling Jack. The alcohol had completely knocked him out, dreams included. It wasn’t that much of a bad thing, Jack had trouble getting rid of his nightmares most days, he definitely didn’t want to have an alcohol problem. He relied on it too much in the past and he wasn’t going to let it slip back into place again, he couldn’t.

Jack woke up startled in cold sweat, his clothes from yesterday constricting him, holding onto him like a python ready to snap him in half. He was incredibly uncomfortable and that’s when the hangover kicked it up a notch. A headache beginning to rip into him, his stomach hurling itself around inside him. He groaned out loud, knowing that he desperately had to go to the toilet evacuate his stomach but everything else forced him to stay stuck to the bed. He couldn’t take feeling like this any longer and rushed to the bathroom, heaving violently into the toilet bowl. Everything from yesterday and more rushed from his mouth, a fierce pain awakening through his throat. Everything hurt. Jack pulled off his clothes as his skin prickled from the cold sweat that was searing through his frame. He sat there just in his boxes reflecting on being an absolute moron and not restraining himself after having one scotch. 

Once he had finished expelling his insides and brushing his teeth furiously, he ran himself a shower. He got under the warm water and stood there, letting the water run over his head, dripping down his face, droplets falling from his chin. He let the water wash over him like Holy water, washing away his demons. He shampooed and conditioned his hair, scouring his body with a body loofer. He finished cleaning himself, drying off and dressing in fresh boxers, some comfy shorts and a baggy shirt that Ana’s daughter had made during her days at school. The blue and yellow merging together in a spiral, flecking over the rest of the shirt.  
Pharah had grown up now, last he heard she had joined the air corps. He hadn’t heard from either since. He inwardly prayed they were both okay. His mood was continuously deteriorating and he didn’t known how to stop it, how to keep all the bad memories at bay, he’d call his therapist if he could but he was in the middle of the ocean, he didn’t exactly have the data plan to make calls. 

He decided on just leaving his room, heading to the spa treatment part of the deck. Upon entering he found that it was mostly inhabited by women, a few men enjoying the sauna further into the area. Jack chose to have the full relaxation experience, he laid on the bed, towel wrapped around his waist. He felt the hot stones being placed on the spots that troubled him the most, the way the masseuses fingers worked him over, working out all the knots, the sensation of all troubles being massaged out of him, he truly felt completely relaxed. Jack hadn’t realised until the masseuse shook him lightly awake that he had actually fallen asleep. The rest was well needed and he felt ready to continue the day. 

Jack left with a faint smile on his face, his body felt completely relaxed but his mind was still in tatters, he had really tried to keep everything at bay but it seemed to be working less and less. What if everyone he knew was actually gone? A lot of them had gone missing while being posted, why were most of his friends based in the army? He didn’t seem to make it easy with keeping friends, they either disappeared or died. Both taking their toll on Jacks willpower to stay alive. He sighed to himself and continued to the breakfast buffet, only taking a croissant and some freshly squeezed orange juice, a jug of water already placed on the small booth he was sat at. 

He stared at the table as he ate and drank until he felt the room beginning to fill up, watching the patrons swarm in and begin emptying the buffet table of all content. He continued watching until he found Gabriel, eyeing up the table, assumingly trying to figure out what to have for breakfast. He didn’t seem to have anyone with him, everytime Jack had seen him, he’d been alone. It would be nice to make a new friend, he hoped that Reyes was situated in America otherwise he’d found another person who’d abandon him, the thought unsettled his stomach and made him feel like retching. Gabriel’s eyes locked with Jacks and the small smirk he saw on Gabriels lips made Jack’s stomach flip over tenfold. It made him feel even more nauseous that he already was. The man began walking closer and closer until he was at Jack’s table, sitting himself in the booth with him. 

“You looked like you could use some company. Sleep alright?” Jack could pretty much feel the mockery being burnt into him like a brand iron against his face. 

“Terrible hangover but the Spa worked that out for me.” Jack shrugged, sipping at the last of his orange juice, pouring himself a glass of water with his now empty glass. He glanced down, checking what Gabriel had chosen for breakfast. Everything it seemed, Jack raised his eyebrows and observed the man as he dug in like it was his first and last meal for the rest of his life. Gabriel looked up as he was grinding away at his food, once finished he let a cheeky smile play on his lips. Jack thought about how gorgeous this man was, how anything he did, he seemed to do with some kind of arrogant grace. 

They sat in silence for half an hour, Gabriel wandering back and forth, picking out things he especially liked from the menu. Jack thought about joining him and grabbing the food that looked especially good, but the idea of eating anymore made him feel queasy and he wasn’t ready to throw up again, his throat would definitely not welcome that at all. Gabriel was first to break the silence. “You here by yourself?” Jack nodded. Not knowing what else to add to that. He didn’t have anyone, no one was around anymore, he didn’t want to go into detail about his days of being a veteran soldier, the more he thought about it the more he felt sick. He had to quickly excuse himself so he could rush to the bathroom, throwing up once more, feeling worse than he did earlier. He locked the door behind him, crouching in front of the toilet, sighing once more. He was already fed up of this feeling, fed up of being alive, he wanted to be surrounded by the people he knew, the people he loved. 

Jack heard the door open as someone entered, there was a tap on his door and he looked behind him, noticing the shoes behind the door, belonging to Gabriel. “Sorry, hangover isn’t helping.” Jack tried to laugh but it ended up sounded like a low sob, he cursed to himself, what pity show. “Don’t worry about it, happens to the best of us.” From what Jack could tell, Gabriel was kind, parts of him seemed distant and far off but what did Jack know? They’d known each other less than 24 hours and he’s already seen Jack a complete mess. He felt embarrassed and also enraged at himself for showing such weakness. 

He flushed the toilet and exited the cubicle, washing out his mouth, using a dollar bill in a vending machine to grab a capsule toothbrush with toothpaste, chewing on it to brush over his teeth and tongue, spitting it out into the bin once finished. Gabriel patted Jack on the shoulder and brought him along with him. “Let’s go play some squash, build up a sweat, work out that hangover.” Jack nodded, thinking that’d actually be quite a good idea. He hadn’t played any type of sport with someone in a while. Usually playing squash by himself, or running for a good three hours until his stamina finally gave in. 

They were at the courts, both already dressed for the occasion. Gabriel smirked as he told Jack he wouldn’t be going easy on him, Jack couldn’t help but smirk back, giving Reyes an overly smug look before telling him good luck. Gabriel was first to serve, hitting the wall at great speed, the ball crushed itself into the wall before flinging itself back towards both of them, Jack lunged for the ball and smacked it with great force, once again slightly caving in itself and bouncing back towards them. They continued to hit the ball with an extreme amount of force. On the 6th round the ball made it burst. Gabriel and Jack stood there for a moment, staring at the deflated ball before both laughing, hitting each other on the shoulders. “Good going Jack, look what you’ve done.” Jack raised his eyebrows, beaming with a brazen look about himself. “Can’t help it that I’m stronger than you.” Jack shrugged as he watched Gabriel’s eyebrows also raise. “I could easily bench more than you, old man.” 

Jack’s voice went up a pitch. “Old man?! You’re probably older than me, you fossil.” They continued bickering back and forth until the gym leader entered the court. 

“Is everything okay here?” Both turned quickly to see the younger male looking at both of them, confusion showing on his face. They each handed the man their rackets and a crumpled excuse for a ball. “You need stronger balls.” Jack snorted at Gabriel’s remark, he felt young again, stupid as it seems, Gabriel brought out the fun in Jack that he forgot he even had. Everything felt new, exciting, for the first time, Jack felt real again.


End file.
